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Careers in Language

In today’s global economy, where multilingual employees are in high demand, learning another language can open up a world of career opportunities.

Will learning a language help you land a great job after college? Yes! Research suggests that knowing at least one other language helps people get jobs and may fast-track careers. In fact, a 2013 CNN Money article asserted that the hottest job skill in America is… fluency in a foreign language! In the new American workplace, shaped by cultural diversity and global interdependence, multilingual candidates are in great demand.

At the Academy, we are passionate about giving you the linguistic and cultural skills to communicate with confidence and thrive in a cross-cultural environment. Whether you want to help migrant farm workers gain rights, broker deals in the international marketplace or teach English as a second language, your work will be more meaningful (and productive) as a multilingual speaker.

Here are five careers that seek bilingual professionals:

1. Translators and Interpreters

Translators and interpreters convert information from one language to another. Translators work in written language and interpreters work in spoken or sign language.

Employment in this field is expected to grow 46% from 2012 to 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increase is much higher than the rate of 11% for all other occupations combined.

Today translators and interpreters are needed in many settings, including schools, hospitals, Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. State Department and military and police departments, to name a few.

2. Health Professionals

The health care field is striving to improve the quality of health services through delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services. This means hiring staff members who are multilingual. Numerous health professions have a shortage of multilingual providers including nurses, geneticists, mental health professionals, nutritionists, paramedics and home health aids.

3. Finance

Finance involves the management of money, banking, credit and investments. International finance is a sub-field of finance that deals with monetary interrelations between two or more countries. Employees with a global mindset and language proficiency will have a competitive advantage and will likely enjoy a long and lucrative career.

4. Human Resources

With an increasingly diverse workforce, companies need to hire personnel who can recruit, hire and train employees. Excellent communication skills, including proficiency in multiple languages, is an asset for any company that wishes to build an inclusive and vibrant company culture.

5. Law Enforcement and Intelligence

Building trust and establishing credibility in a community are vital to intelligent and fair law enforcement. Police departments are actively recruiting multilingual officers and detectives. (And the largest police force in Britain now requires officers to be proficient in at least one of 14 languages!)